Sismo-Lab: an ASL Project for the realization of an educational kit on earthquakes

Abstract

The Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro (ASL) is considered by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), an innovative teaching method which helps in consolidating the knowledge acquired at school and testing students’ attitudes though practical experience. As part of the ASL projects proposed at the University of Roma Tre, SISMO-LAB project is aimed to the creation of an educational kit on earthquakes.The main objectives of the project are: promotion of knowledge on earthquakes, improvement of analysis and design skills, and acquisition of methodological skills in the field of dissemination of scientific culture. Thirty-five students from 6 different schools were involved in the pilot project. The experience was assessed positively both by the students, who showed interest and involvement in the realization of the whole kit, and by their teachers who noticed an active and critical participation of their students in the various phases of project implementation. In particular, the workshop experience has attracted students for practical activities and for the fact that, that, once completed, the educational kit became property of the school. This positive feedback has encouraged university staff to continue the project in the future.